If you want to use shock collars to train your dog, you can’t just put a collar on them, stand back, and shock the heck out of the animal.  All that will accomplish is making your dog paranoid and confused.  Yes, you can stop an action such as digging in garbage cans, but overall behavior problems need a comprehensive plan.  Incorporating an electronic dog training collar in such an endeavor can be very helpful.

To train a dog to obedience involves more than just collar training, it involves collar literacy.  This means that the dog understands that by staying at your side and obeying verbal commands, regardless of attractive distractions, is the right way to behave.  To do this you need to engage in a step-by-step approach that encourages your dog to follow your directions.  The first step is to accustom your dog to return to your side when you call them–promptly and consistently.

Using a retracting leash with the e-collar on your dog’s neck, you let your dog go out to the end of the leash's length and call them back.  If your dog fails to return immediately, activate the collar, and call again.  As soon as your dog starts moving in your direction, stop activating the collar.  When they get to you, praise them and reward them.  All this should happen without the dog seeing the remote.

Once your dog returns to you immediately every time you call, start including distraction in their training.  Toys or friends calling them are good choices.  If your dog responds to the distraction above your command, again you activate the collar until the dog learns to remain with you.  Continue this line of training to include sitting and staying from a distance.  When you have accomplished this, your dog has reached a level of understanding; they recognize that obedience is rewarded and that you are their safe haven.  At this point further training is quick and easy.

Posted: August 6th, 2009 under Blog.
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